F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, reveals much about the
             waste and wealth of America in the "roaring twenties." Through a cast of
             colorful characters, Fitzgerald weaves a tale of excess and passion that
             leads to the destruction of the human soul. Jay Gatsby, a self-made
             millionaire embodies the exorbitance of this era and pays the ultimate
             price. Tom and Daisy Buchanan illustrate how wealth and greed corrupt.
             Jay Gatsby is a complex character because he has admirable qualities and
             despicable qualities. We admire him because he able to attain the wealth
             he desired despite the fact that he came from a poor family. We dislike
             him because he was driven by greed and materialism. Gatsby is wealthy, no
             doubt, but he flaunts it in ways that are tasteless. We know from Nick that
             Gatsby went to great lengths to redefine himself. For example, we know
             that his real name is James Gatz and he was from an unsuccessful farm
             family in North Dakota. He changed his name when he was seventeen--a
             change inspired when he laid his eyes on Dan Cody's yacht. It was the
             taste of greed that Gatsby could never shake. It shaped him from an early
             age and from this fact, we can see how damaging greed can be to an
             individual. Gatsby was not an inherently evil person. In fact, we know
             that he was kind to those who attended his lavish parties and wanted
             trouble from no one. However, it was his selfish drive for money and
             In fact, Gatsby possesses an incredible drive to succeed that many
             people never do. His mistake was focusing it on the wrong thing. It is
             important to note that it is not wrong to desire wealth, but Gatsby
             embodies materialism at its worst and displays it with an extravagance that
             While trying to impress Daisy, Gatsby goes to incredible heights. His
             infatuation with her coupled with his own greed doom him from the beginning
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